JohnAkaB

cardio, jump rope, bicycle

GSPALLTHEWAY

DIET... plan and simple, eat less, but still quality foods, dont eat past 5pm, and run or bike, works everytime....

sitnspin

I agree that diet is key, but I don't believe that you shouldn't eat between 5pm and the next morning. What that does is cause your body to slow its metabolism so you burn calories slower because it's not getting any food. It goes into preservation mode. You want to keep everything working and humming along on frequent, light meals. 5 or 6 small meals, staggered throughout the day. Even just snacks on stuff like celery and almonds after 5 is better than nothing.

You definitely need to bust your ass and sweat a lot if you want to shed fat and get into shape, but unless your diet improves to match it, you won't lose any weight (trust me, because I've been that guy). Aside from eating small meals and healthy snacks so you're never hungry, you want to cut out as much sugar and starch as possible. Don't eat anything white -- white rice, regular pasta, white bread, potatoes. All of that starch turns into sugar in your body, which equals tons of empty calories that will just contribute to your gut.

You need your grains and cereals every day, so eat dark, whole, multi-grain breads. If you want rice, eat small portions of brown rice (higher in fibre and there's actually some nutritional value, whereas with the white stuff you might as well be eating ice cream). Instead of regular potatoes, eat sweet potatoes because, believe it or not, the kind of starch they are breaks down more easily and doesn't hang around as sugar in your belly the way white potatoes do.

No dessert! No junk food! No second helpings at dinner! Don't assume that diet coke and low-fat potato chips are acceptable. Sure, they're better than the real thing, but you're better off eliminating them altogether.

Drink tons of water every day, because it flushes your system out and keeps you feeling energized. Fact: The average joe doesn't drink anywhere near enough water, and the resulting headaches, fatigue and muddled thinking that he experiences in the middle of the day lead him to reach for coffee and junk food. The caffeine dehydrates you and the junk food makes you fat. Wouldn't a litre of water and some fruit and nuts have been a better plan?

When you work out, you want to mix it up so some days you're running, jumping rope, on the bike, the heavy bag, the cross-trainer, etc for one long sustained period, and on alternating days you're just doing high-intensity sprints (60 seconds at full tilt, 30 seconds rest, or 20 seconds at max with 10 second rests, and repeat that 6-8 times). You actually do more work and burn more calories when you're doing the sprints, but you need the other days to just build up your endurance and general fitness level so you'll even be ABLE to do the sprints properly.

Good luck. Stay focused. Drink more water (Rich Franklin drinks over a gallon a day, and look at him.

lwbfl

Well said sitnspin, well said! The only thing I can add is to keep up with the amount of calories and protien you're taking in. This is VERY important. Take in too little, and you can burn muscle and store fat, too much and you'll store fat. Don't forget to account for the drinks and little things you add (sauces etc.) You'll be suprised how little most people are getting that think they are eating "clean". Don't believe me? Try it for one week, you'll see. Also, the don't eat after whatever time in the evening and working out on an empty stomach are very COUNTER PRODUCTIVE! Don't ever starve your body, as it will store everything it can during the next few meals. Diet is most important, you eat all day, exercise for a couple of hours. Use your time wisely. Oh yeah, one more thing. Eating one large salad a day does wonders for your immune system. Avoid regualr (iceburg) lettuce as it has NO value. Choose fresh when available of the romain, green leaf, red leaf, etc, sweet peppers, carrots, GARLIC, radishes, tomatoes etc. I could go on and on all day, but I'll call it quits here!

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GSPALLTHEWAY

i guess that applies to me because i dont always stay up so late... if i eat at 5pm, im done at 530, asleep by 1030 sometimes and im just not that hungry by the time i goto bed.... i wouldnt call that "starving" yourself at all.... but i agree for the most part.. im just an early eater = )

TBCman

Do you think it would be possible to lose more from just eating Vegies? or should meat be included

sitnspin

Well, that's a complicated question. Meat provides a lot of useful stuff like protein, iron, B12, etc. But I've also been a vegetarian for 15 years (including the years I was boxing), so I never eat it. It's important to get those things, so if you're not going to eat meat, make sure you're getting enough of what you'd normally get from meat. Here's something I'm cutting & pasting about sources of iron:

Our ability to absorb iron from foods varies from about 3 percent to 40 percent, depending on its form in the food, the body's need for it, and a variety of other factors. Iron from animal proteins (heme iron) is better absorbed by the body than iron from plant foods (nonheme iron).

Animal sources of iron include liver, kidneys, red meat, poultry, fish (especially oysters and clams), and eggs. Plant sources of iron include peas, beans, nuts, dried fruits, leafy green vegetables (especially spinach), enriched pastas and breads, and fortified cereals.

To optimize the amount of iron you get from plant foods, eat them with a food high in Vitamin C at the same meal. Foods high in Vitamin C include broccoli, tomatoes, greens, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, cantaloupe and citrus fruits. You can also eat a small amount of meat or other food with heme iron along with the nonheme source. Eating meat with vegetables and grain products enhances the absorption of all nonheme iron present. Keep your dietary fiber intake to under 35 mg a day; phytic acid and other factors in grain fibers and oxalic acid in vegetables can all bind iron and reduce its absorption. Also reduce tea consumption, especially at mealtime, because the tannins in tea also reduce iron absorption. Keep in mind that zinc competes with iron for absorption, as do high-dose calcium supplements.

The RDA for iron is 10 mg for adult men and 15 mg for adult women. The higher dosage for women is primarily because of menstrual blood loss. It has been found that most women do not consume 15 mg of iron daily. Approximately 8 percent of Americans have iron-deficiency anemia, and 15 percent are iron-deficient worldwide. Clinical symptoms include pale skin, fatigue, poor temperature regulation, loss of appetite, and apathy.

Your best sources of B12 are dairy, eggs, breakfast cereals that are fortified with it, and nutritional yeast. Taking it in supplement form isn't a bad idea, either.

Protein's the easiest. Eggs, nuts, beans, tofu, and supplements.

In general, meat isn't the problem if you're trying to lose weight, it's the kind of meat. Skinless chicken breasts are obviously going to be lower calories than fried ground beef or big Italian sausages. If you're going to eat meat, eat lean cuts and don't fry it.

Crashsti

losing weight is easy, i don't know why people have such a hard time with it. i believe you can lose weight and still eat whatever you want. you just have to keep active. i was reading in Men's Health that when they polled men in some cities about how often they engage in strenuous activity some said NOT IN THE LAST MONTH. when you work out you have to work out. you can't do it halfway. you can get super complex with claories in vs. calories out etc.. but i think if you train really hard and pay careful attention to how much and what you are eating you should lose weight. you don't have to count calories but you have to be sensible. not everyone is the same of course.

lwbfl

What a blanket statement. How old are you and what is your body type. If this were true, alot more people would be fit LOL!

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Crashsti

i am 6feet tall and weigh 205 at the moment. honestly i think alot of people love the idea of losing weight but don't want to put the work in. maybe they get confused by all the junk the Diet Companies spew out and don't know what is true. I have seen it first hand. people ask me all the time how to lose weight and i tell them start walking. these people are often obese and can't really do much else. they might walk for a week and then they quit. they say its too hard don;t you know of any diets or pills that work? they fill thier grocery carriages full of "diet foods" like Diet Coke and Lean Cuisine Dinners when they should be eating fresh produce and lean meat. i knew a guy who was my height but weighed abouy 320lbs. one day he was complaining about being fat. i told him to stop eating the muffins he ate at break everyday at work. he insisted they were'nt that bad. only 600 calories a serving. WELL, 1 muffin was 3 servings and he was eating 2 of these therefore getting 3600 calories, empty calories. alot of MMA fighters have the opposite problem, gaining weight, they workout and train so much that they find it hard to put on weight when they want to.

Bull

People always think the lighter a boxer is, the better the shape he is in. They dehydrate, they fight in a weight class that is unhealthy for them. As long as you do not eat loads of burgers and chocolate, everything should be fine, just work hard.

TBCman

Thanks i really appreciate all the great information you people gave me

marnold

I freeze handfuls of Crisco Lard and eat them throughout the day. Is that bad?

Eraser2K1NIN

Thanks for all the great info. I'm going to try and lose about 30-40 lbs. I need to get a grip before it really gets out of hand.